Daring Prince Andrew will abseil down the Shard, leaping from the 1,016ft London landmark to raise cash for charity.

He will join Foreign Secretary William Hague’s wife, Ffion, on Europe’s tallest building on September 3.

The pair will be among 40 abseilers raising funds for The Outward Bound Trust and the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund.

They will join the 20 bravest on an 820ft drop from the summit of the 87th floor to the 20th, while 20 others do a shorter descent – from the 87th to 78th floor.

The group will be supported by the Royal Marines, who specialise in operating in extreme environments.

The Duke of York, 52, said: “As chairman of The Outward Bound Trust, I am very proud of the work it undertakes with young people.

“The Royal Marines are also close to my heart as part of the Royal Navy.”

Prince Andrew opened The Shard at the beginning of this month along with Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, whose country funded the spectacular landmark to the tune of £450m.

Owners of The Shard, LBQ Limited, said they were “delighted” to welcome The Duke of York back there for the abseil following his “key role in the building’s inauguration”.

Nick Barrett, CEO of The Outward Bound Trust said: “The Outward Bound Trust is delighted to be one of the beneficiary charities of the amazing Descent of The Shard challenge.”

And Mark Noble, the Chief Executive of the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund said: “The funds generated by this once-in-a-lifetime event will go a long way towards assisting our efforts in supporting the Royal Marines Corps Family.”